Rail joint



Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- ICLEOD THOMSON, OF CHELSEA, NEW tTERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO THE RAIL JOINT COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BAIL JOINT.

Application filed August 17, 1928. Serial 1T0. 309,324.

This invention relates to an improvement in rail joint structures, and primarily has in view a novel relation of the joint bar to the rail to obtain to some extent the advantages of the head-free type of rail oint originating in the Thomson Reissue Patent No. 15,773, dated Feb. 19, 1924, and particularly to prevent the undesirable cocking inwardly of a bar when worn, and compelling an old joint bar to be straightened to proper fishing position when drawnto a fit by the joint bolts.

To that end, the invention has in view an improvement in rail joints wherein the joint bar at its head has a pivotal action on spaced apart bearing surfaces, and a rotative move ment over the rail base around a center in the head of the bar, whereby proper and adequate adjustment may be made by the tightening of the bolts.

It is proposed by the present invention to provide a joint bar which takes a bearing on the rail inwardly of the outer side of its head in such a way that as wear increases, the to surface of the bar is moved further away rom the underside of the rail head as the base of the bar is drawn inwardly by the ti htening of the bolts. This construction is advantageous because it prevents the cocking inwardly of the bar with its resulting disadvantages of improper fit and inefii ciency.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved structure which maintains freedom or clearance of the inner part of the head of the bar from the head fillet in the rail as distinguished from the head fillet engagement of the head-free type of bar covered by the Thomson reissue patent referred to, while at the same-time insuring loading engagement for the bar adjacent to the head fillet of therail with all of the attendant advantages of a loading engagement at or near that oint.

While t e invention is susceptible of various forms of structural iembodiment, certain preferred forms are shown in the accompany drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical half-sectional view illustrating the preferred form of the invention.

I Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig.1 illustrating another form of bar embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a vertical half-sectional view, il-

of any lustrating the use of a single shim for providing a rail-web bearing for the inner side Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one form of SlllIIl that may be used.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the shim shown in Fig. 5.

S1m1lar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several fig ures of the drawing. i

In carrying the present invention into effect,'the same may be embodied in a joint bar conventional type, the only requirement eing that the joint bar employed shall have its head formed or shaped to provide two bearing surfaces which respectively have a pivoting or slidin engagement with the underside of. the rail ead and on the rail-web, or its equivalent, adjacent the head fillet.

Accordlng to a primary form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the joint bar 1 having the head 2 and foot flange 3 is provided with the usual openings in its we 1 to receive the bolts 4 for holding and adjusting the bar on the rail. The bar, head 2 is formed at its inner side to provide the spaced rail engaging bearing portions or surfaces A and B, while the outer portion of its upper surface 0 is formed to maintain at all times a head clearance from the underside of the rail head in the manner of a headfree rail joint. In this embodiment of the invention, it is therefore proposed to modify a head-free bar by providing points of bearing engagement with both the web and the underslde of the rail head adjacent to but spanning the head fillet F of the rail head. As wear occurs and the bolts 4 are tightened, the foot flange 3 of the bar will have an inward and upward movement over the rail flange thereby providing the rotative movement of the lower portion of the bar, while the bearing portions A and B at the head of the bar will have a pivoted and slidin engagement on the underside of the railead "head to avoid head fil et engagement.

As will also be observed from Fig. 1 of the drawings, the outer bolting face 5 of the joint bar may embody'the feature of having the outer bolting face of the bar initially in clined downwardly and outwardly from a vertical plane as and for the purposes shown in my former Patent No. 1,650,551, November 22, 1927, although, the invention is equally applicable to a bar having an entirely vertical or non-inclined bolting face as shown in Fig. 2.

In the forms of the invention so far described, the joint bars embody the preferable feature of having direct contact between the inner part of the bar head and the rail.

However, to illustrate the range of modifica tion of the invention, Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the use of shims or spacing plates to provide a. solid metal-to-metal engagement of theinner side of the bar head with the rail-web.

This phase of the invention is particularly useful and applicable in connection with a worn bar in which the outer portion of its top bearing surface has been worn down because of the cocking inwardly of the bar through wear or faulty application. A bar so worn when restored to its original fishing position, that-is, when straightened up, is spaced from the rail-Web at its inner side and has a head clearance to a greater or less degree from the outer portion of the underside of the rail head as will be seen by reference to both Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. By using the shims or spacing plates with a worn bar of that kind it may be iven the solid metal engagement with the rai -web and with the inner portion of the underside of the rail head, adj acent the head fillet so that it will act in the same manner as and fulfill the functions of a bar integrally formed to have these spaced apart points of engagement with the rail as shown in Figs. 1- and 2. Likewise the adjustment of a bar shimmed to have a position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4: will be inwardly at the base as hereinbefore described.

Referring more in detail to the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4, whereinthe invention is embodied in the continuous type of joint bars, it will be observed from Fig.

3 that the web w of the rail R has in contact therewith a spacing plate or shim 6. This shim is normally supported on the top of the joint bolts and extends upwardly intq the recess of the head fillet of the rail whereby the inner side 7 of the head 8 of the continuous bar 9 takes a bearin against the shim or spacing plate 6, while the upper edge 10 of the bar head also takes a bearing against the underside of the rail head inwardly from the outer edge thereof. Thus, in this adaptashim 6, thereby accomplishing'the same objective as heretofore described.

As previously indicated, the purpose of using shims or spacing plates is to convert old rail joint structures into the present invention, and therefore when using some old bars which have become worn more than others, it is desirable to utilize shims or spacing plates of various thicknesses so that the inner face of the head of the bar may be properly spaced from the rail-web. Accordingly, as will be observed fromFig. 4 of the drawings, a shim 6 of added thickness may be used between the inner face 7 of the head 8 of the bar 9 and the rail web. It will be observed from Figs. 5 and 6 that the shim 6 has portions 6' of added thickness.

When usinothe shims 6 and 6 in connection with old or even new joint bars in the manner explained it prevents the cocking inwardly thereof, and when using the same in connection solely with worn or old joint bars it straightens them up to their work. These shims may extend the full length of the joint, although in practice it may be advantageous to use four shims instead of two.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that in all forms of the invention the es sential feature thereof is preserved. That is to say, regardless of whether the invention is used in connection with new orworn bars, the feature of providing a dual engagement at the inside head of the bar is preserved so i contrary spans such fillet to provide for the progressive movement of the bars under wear and adjustment by the rocking inward of the lower portion of the bar over the rail flanges, the rocking occurring about the points of dual engagement. L

Without further description, it will be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

1. A rail oint structure including the rails, and a s lice bar having 7 spaced head bearing surfaces respectively at opposite sides of the head fillet of the rail and having a. clearance from the outer portion of the head fishing surface of the rail.

2. A rail joint structure including the rails, and a splice bar having the head thereof provided with spaced bearing surfaces respectively engaging the underside of the rail "head and the rail-web and having a clearance from the outer portion of the head fishing surface of the rail.

3. A rail joint structure including the rails, and a splice bar having the head thereof formed for dual engagement with the rail, said points of engagement being respectively above and below the head fillet of the rail and having a clearance from the outer portion of the head fishing surface of the rail.

4. A rail joint including the rails, clamping bolts, a splice bar having head-fishing clear-' ance from the outer ortion of the underside of the rail head an a loading engagement with the rail at opposite sides of the fille thereof.

5. Arail joint includin the rails, clam ing bolts, a splice bar having head clearance mm the outer portion of the underside of the rail head and also having spaced bearing surfaces at its upper, inner corner for spanning the head fillet of the rail. 6. A rail joint including the rails, clam ing bolts, and a splice bar having head-fis ing clearance from the outer portion of the underside of the rail head, and an inner head projection provided with spaced bearing suraces spanning the head fillets of the rails and having an upwardly sliding bolt tightening engagement with the rai at opposite sides of each fillet.

7 A rail joint including the rails, clam ing bolts, and a splice bar having head-fis ing clearance from outer portion of the underside of the rail head and a dual en agement glilth the rail head at opposite sides 0 the head 8. A rail joint structurejncluding the rails, and a s lice bar havin spaced head hearing sur aces respective? at opposite sides of the head fillet of the rail and having a clearance from the outer portion of the head fishing surface of the rail, and a shim plate arranged between one of said bearing surfaces and the rail.

9. A rail oint structure including the rails, and a splice bar having spaced head bearing surfaces respectively at opposite sides of the head fillet of the rail and havin a clearance from the outer portion of the ead fishin surface of the rail, and a shim plate arrange between one of said bearing surfaces and the rail-web.

10. A rail joint including in combination, the rails, clamping bolts, a splice bar having head clearance from outer rtion of the underside of the rail headan also having spaced bearing surfaces at its upper, inner corner, and a shim plate arranged betweenv signature.

MoLEOD THOMSON. 

